


Beautiful Oblivion

by CourageofAwesome



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Cultural Differences, F/M, Faron Tribe, Genocide Talk, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Possible Character Death, Possible Relationships - Freeform, Slight Nudity, Strange customs, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, War, barbarians - Freeform, blast from the past, engagements, hidden society, slight period-typical sexism, society boundries, tribes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-19
Updated: 2018-12-21
Packaged: 2019-06-12 19:54:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,703
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15347478
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CourageofAwesome/pseuds/CourageofAwesome
Summary: After receiving strange reports from Faron, Link is sent by Zelda to investigate. Locals claim to spot a girl from a time long forgotten. She's savage, but insightful, and so is the rest of her tribe. Link seeks to learn from them and to help them reintegrate into Hyrule, but is there more going on here than meets the eye? Does the tribe even want to come back into the light after spending so long in the dark?Art will be featured in the story, and any additional art presented by readers is greatly encouraged.





	1. A New Adventure

**Author's Note:**

> As promised, I have created a Breath of the Wild story. I hope it meets to the expectations of everyone, and that I don't make myself into too big of a fool. And forgive me if the writing is funny as I haven't written in third person in a long time.
> 
> Like the summary says, art will be appearing in the story every once in a while, so don't forget to visit older chapters to see if anything has been added. Which reminds me, if any of you lovely readers wish to contribute art, I would be glad to have it. It may even be featured directly in the story. I will always add a link to it if it's not directly embedded, however, so don't worry, you will be acknowledged and credited. Just make sure to inform me of the art and credit me for the concepts as well as letting me know where I can find it. I can't wait to see which scenes you all will choose to interpret! (You can send me art links through the comments or message me on my DeviantART page.)
> 
> Without further ado, I hope you enjoy the story. [I receive no profits from this series. The Legend of Zelda and all its affiliates are the property and trademark of Nintendo.]

_**Ignorance is not bliss - it is oblivion. ~Philip Wylie** _

The tapping of feet echoed down the hall, the owner’s steps quick, almost frantic. The man, a young Hylian, barely older than twenty-one, was racing to the private office and lab of the one who commanded him, sword clanking against his back. He huffed, attempting to appear calm in front of the passing soldiers and carpenters, the castle’s repairs coming along well.

It had been a couple of years since his triumphant victory against the beast that had plagued this very castle, as well as the entirety of Hyrule. The young man had aged well, finally coming into his height and musculature. A late bloomer, he was, but he finally stood eye to eye with most other Hylians, if not having room to grow slightly taller still. His muscles had swelled since the final fight, more defined from the constant vigilance and training.

Upon finally reaching his destination, the young man burst through the door. “My Queen! What is it? What is the emergency?!”

A blonde head turned upwards at her knight’s arrival, a golden diadem perched there. “Link, how many times must I tell you? I am just Zelda to you, my friend.”

Link, the Hylian Champion, the light of Hyrule, the defeater of the great beast Calamity Ganon, and personal friend to her Royal Highness—Queen Zelda—sighed rather dramatically. “Yes, forgive me, Zelda, but what was it that you wanted to see me about?”

Zelda stood from her seat, her usual attire traded for a long dress. She walked slowly to Link, motioning for him to sit down on a nearby chasse. She joined him and poured them tea. “Something unusual has been sighted in the Faron region,” she informed. “The locals don’t quite know what to make of it either.”

“Is it a monster or a creature of some sort?”

The monarch shook her head. “Quite the contrary, actually. It was a person that no one had ever seen before.”

Link shrugged, unsure of what to say. “Okay, visitors come to Hyrule all the time. What’s so interesting about that?”

Moving back to her desk, Zelda retrieved something from a drawer to place in her knight’s hands. She flipped to a few pages within, revealing a charcoal sketch of what Link assumed was the person in question. “This was sketched by a passerby who witnessed the appearance of the woman in the picture. He had to draw her from memory as she disappeared as soon as she noticed him. He claims she was a spirit.”

The girl in the drawing was wearing scraps for clothes, furred gauntlets protecting her arms. She appeared wild and untamed. Link then took notice of her ears; they were long like his (maybe even longer). She was a Hylian then, so why was she dressed the way she was?

“She looks like she stepped out of another century,” he noted.

“Indeed,” agreed Zelda. “That’s what drew my attention. She looks like a barbarian from the history books. It doesn’t help to mention that she was found near the Zonai Ruins.”

The Zonai Ruins were rumored to have been built by the original natives of the Faron region. They were built as a tribute to some god or deity the tribe revered. They existed before the Calamity’s time. No one knew what had happened to them. They had disappeared in a single night, taking all proof of their existence with them… all but the ruins.

Link knew what Zelda was implying. “You are to go and check the area along with a couple of soldiers that will be accompanying you. Under no circumstances will you go alone. We have no idea if this person or people are particularly hostile towards strangers. You leave in three days.”

With a silent huff, Link nodded, crossing his arm over his chest. “It shall be done…” he drawled.

Zelda smiled. “Good,” she said cheerily. “Now, drink your tea and tell me all of what you’ve been doing.”

* * *

 

He did not rise with the sun, that was for sure. His adventure was over, so why should he have to? No, Link preferred to sleep in for as long as he was able. Long nights and early mornings while traveling were not particularly missed. Call him lazy; he didn’t care.

Groaning as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes, Link sat up in his bed and glanced out his window, taking in the state of the weather. The sun was shining brightly, fluffy white clouds drifting among the breeze. It appeared to be a beautiful morning. Link sighed, as beautiful mornings meant mornings full of chores.

With a grumble, the Hylian rolled out of bed and to his feet, taking the pile of clothes he had left for himself the night before and donning them. The plain gray shirt and the pair of loose trousers  would do fine for now. It’s not like he had anywhere to be… at least not until tomorrow.

Grabbing a quick breakfast, Link strolled out his door and stretched in the warm light. It was going to be a hot summer. Rolling his shoulders, Link made his way to the small stable beside his house; his horse Epona stood inside, looking at him with eyes full of adoration as he approached. The Hylian smiled, raising his hand to run it down her snout, the mare whinnying with glee at the attention. He cooed, clucking his tongue against his teeth gently, the gentle noises soothing to the horse. Epona butted Link’s head with her own in response, eliciting a chuckle from her master.

“Come on,” Link smiled, leading her out into the yard. He patted her flank as she began to graze, moving to muck out her stall. He grabbed the pitchfork leaning against the wall and shifted the hay, throwing out the bad and pulling in new. It didn’t take long, but it was grueling and kind of smelly work. Link wiped his brow, sweat trickling down his temple. He put down the pitchfork and breathed out deeply, happy to done with this chore.

 _How much time has passed?_ he idly wondered. The sun was high in the sky, barely making it noon. With a look of mild annoyance, Link fetched an apple from the tree on his property and sat down in front of the pond, letting his feet dangle in the cool water.

The young Hylian always got this way right before a journey, restless and anxious. It was probably a lingering effect after defeating that vile beast a little more than two—this fall marking three—years ago, always expecting the worse to happen at any moment. It was like he couldn’t sit still any longer. His mind was currently dwelling on the near future and what would happen on this mission. Link suspected, despite the simple guise, this assignment could easily get complicated very quickly.

A sudden harsh nudge from behind sent him into the pond with a splash, soaking the hero through his clothes. He broke the surface of the water, sputtering, demanding to know who the culprit behind his unexpected bath was. What Link saw was his horse, her lips raised up at him in a mischievous grin. She neighed, squealing sounding suspiciously like laughter. Link closed his eyes, shaking his head from side to side. There was no way he could be mad at Epona, so he chose to laugh. He splashed water in the horse’s general direction. “You silly creature,” he snickered, rising from the pond to wrap his soaking arms around Epona’s neck. “Always there to keep my mind off the bad things, huh.”

He glanced back at the water. Well, if this was truly to be his bath, he might as well treat it as such. Retrieving a towel, the soap, and wash bucket, Link stripped, quickly hanging his sopping clothes over the line to dry, jumping back into the water moments after. He looked around to make sure no one was in the area first, of course. The last thing he needed was Bolson sending a teasing wolf whistle his direction again. The carpenter was nice, but his flirting could be a bit more subtle.

The Hylian speedily washed himself, making sure he was clean, and wrapped a towel around his waist as he left the cool waters. Epona had served as bit of a blocker, which he was grateful for, walking him as far as the door. Link redressed before deciding he should just go ahead and pack. He could get that over with at least.

Grabbing his packs, Link began stuffing all the essentials inside. Clothes, a bedroll, cooking utensils, food, weapons… everything but the kitchen sink. He took the bags and brought them out to Epona’s tack, where they would ride beside him on his journey.

Thinking of Epona, he should probably groom her before forcing all that gear on her the following day. He set to work, running the hard bristle brush across the mare’s side, combing through her hair, not noticing the girl running up to his property. “Hey!” she shouted, startling Link out of his work. The girl in question was wearing traveling gear, a large pack on her back. Her dark, bobbed hair bounced with each step she took. “Guess who?” she smiled.

Smiling sheepishly back, Link was unsure of what to say. He recognized the girl easily, remembering her and her sister as adventurers who hunted truffles. However, neither one of them had offered him a name. “Hi,” he stated simply.

The girl stopped before him, cheeks rosy—whether it was from exertion or something else, Link wasn’t sure. She grinned, “My sister and I were in the area, and I heard you lived here, so I thought I would stop by… Not that I’m stalking you or anything!”  Her murky eyes widened in panic, and she cleared her throat. “I mean, I thought I should come by to say thank you again for all those times on the road… you know, when you saved Meg and me.”

“Uh,” Link blanched. “Sure. It-It was no problem. Just… doing my duty.”

The girl leaned up against a stable post. “I also heard that you were, uh, kind of the hero of legend who, uh, stopped the end of the world.”

“I guess.”

She fidgeted, abruptly thrusting something into his arms. “This is for you! Thanks!”  She took off without another word.

Link looked down to what he had been gifted with, unsurprised to find a large, white truffle in his hands. He shrugged. More provisions, he guessed.

Actually, this had been happening to him a lot lately. People from all over, mostly women, would come up and give him stuff for “saving the world and all that” as most put it. He wasn’t quite sure what he thought of all the attention. His coming into his own certainly hadn’t helped, if not increasing the stares and fangirling of people.

The more Link thought about it, the stranger it became to him. To think, he would miss a time when nary a person knew his true identity. No one would believe him when he told them either. It had been quite lonely at the time with no recollection of the land, the creatures that inhabited it, and the people who had saw him before his amnesia. He had always felt guilty, learning what had happened to some of his closest friends, and thought that their demise had been all his fault. Link truly believed that if he had been stronger one hundred plus years ago, they wouldn’t have met their untimely ends. His loneliness had drove him further into that guilt, and now… he missed that solitude. Bizarre.

Of course, he couldn’t blame his sudden attention on all his heroics. People had always told him that he was an attractive youth. In fact, Link could remember times when he was subject to the attention of both males and females, embarrassingly enough. The attire he used to sneak into Gerudo town probably helped with that. No, he had always had some form of suitors, his development only fueling the drive. To be completely honest with himself, Link suspected that a lot of people were hoping he would be marrying soon. Physically at least, he was a healthy twenty-one year old—a little past typical marrying age for a male—with strong genes. Many thought he might break royal tradition and marry the Queen, but he was not of royal blood, Champion or not, nor did he have feelings for his friend. Link was perfectly happy with his bachelor lifestyle.  

He pursed his lips and shook his head, stuffing the mushroom into his pack. Picking the brush back up, Link resumed his work, humming a tune as he brushed the gentle horse. He hoped he wouldn’t get any more visitors before his trip.

* * *

 

For once, Link rose before the sun had, the nip from the night air still prevalent in the couple hours before sunrise. Today was the day that he was to meet with Zelda’s chosen soldiers and travel to Faron. He would be meeting them just before the Great Bridge of Hylia, past the Great Plateau where he had woken up in the Shrine of Resurrection just a few short years ago; which is why he was leaving so early. He had just about twice the distance to cover within the day than the soldiers did. Link figured he could make it before the evening thanks to Epona’s quick feet and sturdy muscles.

Checking and then checking again, Link set Epona with her tack and fastened the packs to the saddle. He brushed down her snout, holding out an Endura Carrot for her to eat out of his hand. “Ready, girl?” he asked, saddling up on the mare. Epona shook her head encouragingly, Link spurring her sides. “Hyah!”

The horse took off, moving into a full gallop as they passed the village gate. Link smiled as the wind blew through his hair, making the hood of his cloak fly off his head. He loved the feeling of riding on his horse; her strong muscles pulsing between his thighs, the sound of her hoof beats pounding against the earth, the flow of her mane… It felt like he was living a differing life through Epona.

Link was so enthralled with the ride, he hadn’t even noticed how high the sun had gotten. He could finally see the Great Plateau too, having passed Dueling Peaks about an hour ago. No doubt the soldiers were waiting for him by now. Urging Epona faster, Link rounded the bend passed Scout’s Hill, the bridge right there and group of men loitering about with their horses.

One of the soldiers spotted him, waving his arms wildly. “Master Link!” he yelled. It was the Tomlin, a newly made royal soldier. The redheaded boy looked proud in his uniform, happy to wear the black and white ensemble. It kind of made Link self-conscious, wondering if he should have worn his own uniform—which was sitting in the back of his closet—opting instead to wear his Champion’s Tunic.

Link nodded, smiling fondly at the boy. He raised his hand in greeting, dismounting from Epona, patting her neck.

“The others want to keep pushing forward to find a stable,” Tomlin looked up at the sky, “but it’s already getting late.”

Turning his own head to the sky, Link found that he would have to agree. The sun would set in just a couple of hours and Hyrule was a dangerous place to be at night. “An old monster base is just over there,” Link informed the boy, one of the rare times the soldiers have actually heard him speak. “We should clear it out and set up camp there to be out of the way of other monsters.”

Tomlin gulped. “Are you sure? I mean, of course you’re sure! We’ll get right on it!”

It honestly didn’t take long to clear out the Bokoblins. Sure, there were a few gold and silver-skinned breeds, but the new soldiers of Hyrule were trained very well, some of them studying under Link himself. In short, it was quick work.

Link wiped monster blood off of his sword, taking a cloth to the blade. The others did the same with their various weapons, taking time to live in their victory. “Ah,” one of the soldiers sighed with relief. It was Gordon, one of the older soldiers that came on almost immediately after the Calamity. Something about him just didn’t sit right the Hylian Champion. “Is there any better way to end a day?” he asked, tapping the end of his halberd on the ground.

“What do you mean, Sir?” Tomlin asked respectively, taking a seat on the planks.

Gordon bent down and clapped the boy on the soldier. “Killing, my boy!” he answered happily. “This is the way to spend your days. Now and till death!”

Tomlin shivered, watching the older man walk away, a spring in his step. Link continued to watch him leave out of the corner of his eye, suspicious of the displayed mannerisms. Walking to Tomlin, Link motioned for him to stand, the other soldiers joining them. “Just get your stuff, and don’t say anything more to him.”

They nodded. “Right.”

Soon enough, camp was set up, the horses waiting on the ground below the stand. Bedrolls were scattered around the platforms, a contained fire in the center of them. Link prayed it wouldn’t burn through the planks despite the stone slab they positioned under it. The cooked their own food and ate until their bellies were overstuffed, against Link’s better judgement. Despite the short distance needed to complete the rest of their journey, there was no telling how long they would have to remain in the wild for this mission. Not many people knew how to truly flourish in nature without supplies like Link does. It can get kind of rough hunting and scavenging for food, so Link would rather the troops ration their provisions, but he couldn’t stop them either.

As he lay down in his bedroll for the night, a sudden thought occurred to the Champion. _Where’s Farosh?_ he wondered. _She usually flies over the lake just as dusk falls. She’s late._ Link hoped that this wouldn’t be a bad omen presented as the lack of the courage spirit. The dragon had a habit of appearing in different places, but she was usually on a schedule. So where was she on this night?

Link hunkered down in, unable to keep his thoughts at bay, and settled into a fitful sleep.


	2. Hidden Beneath the Surface

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back to the story and welcome to the second story. I'm glad that you've come back to read more. This chapter is a little information heavy, but it's necessary.
> 
> When you get to the background art in this chapter, you'll have to forgive me as backgrounds are not my forte, so it's a bit rough. More art might be added later on.
> 
> Please, forgive me if you find mistakes or typos.
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

**The soul that sees beauty may sometimes walk alone. ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe**

The sun was barely on the horizon when Link next awoke. The rest of his party was still slumbering deeply, the fire now reduced to cinders. Looking around skeptically, Link wondered what had awoken him. There was nothing in the general vicinity to their camp, but his instincts were practically shouting at him that something was amiss.

Quietly, Link pulled himself from his bedroll and gathered his gear. He didn’t want to wake anyone if he didn’t have to. Creeping down to the ground, Link pulled himself up on his horse and spurred her across the bridge. It appeared Farosh hadn’t come at all in the night; Link couldn’t feel any residual electricity in the air from her presence. The disappearance of the dragon still didn’t sit well with the Hylian.

Continuing on, Link made his way into the Faron region. The air around him wasn’t cool like in Hateno Village, the town so close to Mt. Lanayru; no, this region was rather warm and muggy, even at night. The plants of this region seemed to be flourishing even more now that Calamity Ganon was gone. New species had popped up throughout the forest and more wildlife was scampering amongst the foliage. Things had definitely changed here.

However, despite the obvious growth in flora and fauna here, the forest was unbelievably quiet. Not even the robins or warblers were singing at the signs of the early morning light. Everything was silent. It soon became apparent that this had been going on for a while now. _The animals are scared of a new development_ , Link supposed. _Perhaps the appearance of that girl has disturbed something else. Farosh?_

The silence was suddenly broken by the sound of crumbling rocks. Link halted Epona and dismounted quickly, pulling his hood over his head. He crouched down and crept around the next bend, eyes widening as he spotted the girl from the sketch on top of a decrepit statue. She was staring at something, but from this distance, Link couldn’t make out what. Deciding to get closer, the Hylian hid himself in the tall grass, inching nearer and nearer to the serpent statue and the girl.

A white and blue flower came into view, the girl gazing intently at it. The flower was a Silent Princess, which struck Link as odd. It was strange to see the rare bloom here, even with the recent accrue in its numbers. Averting his gaze from the flower, Link began to analyze the girl, taking in her appearance.

Her hair was a wild ash-blonde, strands sticking out in all directions. The clothes were even wilder, made up of leather, cloth, and furs. It appeared to be her version of armor, the leather parts thick and tough. What drew Link’s attention, however, was her eyes. While the left one was a milky white, obviously dead and blind, the other was an unnatural blue, seemingly glowing in the dim lighting. It was almost hypnotic in a way.

The girl’s long ears suddenly twitched and her head whipped around to face Link, her eyes spotting the Hylian in the tall grass. Those same eyes grew in size, fear reflected in them and on her face. In a flash, she jumped away, dashing deeper into the forest. Link stood just as fast, reaching out to her. “Wait!” he shouted, rushing after her. He whistled for his faithful companion, leaping into the saddle as he pursued. The girl moved to the trees, attempting to stay further out of reach. “Please, wait!” Link repeated as Epona galloped at a heavy pace, the Hylian pushing her hard.

This girl, whoever she was, was very agile despite her limited depth perception. She was quick as she ran across large limps and swung herself from tree to tree, able to cut across large sections while Link and Epona had to adhere to the path laid before them. Link swore as the stranger managed to escape his sight. He couldn’t lose her now.

Pushing on, Link urged Epona further into the forest, a more tropic climate replacing the previous. Other horses would have ceased going any further by now, but not his Epona. She was almost as brave as he, going as far to leap over the river that separated the path to continue on. Link began to realize that the girl was heading for the Zonai Ruins and the Spring of Courage, but why? With high cliffs towering around the spring, it was practically a dead end. Sure, she could climb the cliffs and escape, but she would lose the upper hand of familiar ground. No, she wouldn’t risk that.

Coming to the very ruins, Link slowed his steed, bringing her to a halt, and dismounted. The girl was nowhere in sight; she wasn’t hiding amongst the ruins, nor was she scaling the cliffs. It was like she had vanished all together.

Link approached the goddess statue at the center of the spring, the divine figure still in relatively good shape despite how old it was, and looked up to the stone face as if searching for an answer to his problem. He knew the girl had come through here, but how could she disappear so easily. There was no way she went into the shrine at the back of the spring; without the Sheikah Slate, one couldn’t even access the lift and, even if they could, wouldn’t be able to get passed the barrier at the trial’s beginning. Only the chosen hero could access the trial, so she had to still be in the area.

A thought suddenly occurred to the Champion. Perhaps, there was a part of the Zonai Ruins that was still undiscovered? It was definitely possible and the most likely answer. Ruins such as these housed all kinds of secrets, such as ante chambers and hidden passages. He needed to find one now. Reaching to his belt, Link plucked the Sheikah Slate from his holster—he found more use for it than Zelda ever had—and began searching for anything in the ruins that might trigger the slate’s analysis feature.

The slate made an electronic beep, a question mark in a yellow box appearing beside it the image of the pedestal at the base of the statue. The Crest of Courage was engraved there, and if one were to look close enough, the circle in the center of the crest was raised higher than the rest of the symbol. Link leaned in for a closer look, noticing how the circle seemed to almost be outlined, the disk actually separated from the rest of the pedestal. It looked moveable.

Running his fingers over the center of the emblem, Link pushed the disk in, surprised when it clicked and locked into place. A loud scraping noise grabbed the Hylian’s attention as Epona balked and retreated further away from the spring, the raised dais behind him opening up to reveal a hidden staircase. Link smirked in satisfaction of having found the very thing he had been looking for.

He stood before the spiraling staircase and peered into the darkness below. He looked to Epona as he retrieved a torch from his pack, lighting it with a piece of flint. “Stay here,” he told his steed before descending below, the sounds of Epona’s nickering fading away.

As Link journeyed further, he could only wonder what awaited him. He could feel a rather strong draft, so wherever these stairs were taking him was rather large. Would it be an ancient temple down below or, perhaps, something entirely different?

* * *

 

It felt as if hours had passed since Link started walking down the spiraling staircase. The torch provided little light, somehow making the surrounding darkness that much more expansive. Would he ever reach the end? Was there even an end to reach? Did the girl even come down this way?

The sound of Link’s footsteps changed suddenly, causing him to look at the ground. The neatly carved stairs had turned much rougher, small rocks skittering under his feet as he stepped now. Come to think of it, the walls lining the stairs had changed as well, resembling that of a cave. It was like whoever had carved the stairs had suddenly run out of time.

Shrugging his shoulders, Link continued on, noting how things began changing bit by bit. The stairs were completely gone—leaving nothing but cave floor—and small Silent Shrooms began popping up, the glowing fungi growing steadily larger the further Link went. A light slowly became visible, the terrain flattening out at last. Link approached, realizing the light was coming from the opening of the cave, his pace quickening at the prospect. He could feel cool air coming from the opening and he took a breath before stepping out.

A new world was revealed to the Hylian, his jaw dropping as his mind attempted to wrap around what he was seeing. The cave had opened up into an even larger cavern, and yet, the environment was that of a forest biome filled with large, bioluminescent plants of all different colors. It was incredibly beautiful and unreal. “All this time… there was a world beneath Hyrule, and we weren’t even aware of it.”

Link walked out to the edge of the cliff, overlooking the cavern, large glowing crystals and the plants providing surprisingly plentiful light. He could see a group of huts down below: a village. An area by the houses were sectioned off, cattle and sheep grazing inside. A small lake lay at the back of the cavern, water streaming from in between the cracks in the stone wall, providing fresh water to the inhabitants. Link spotted a large pyre at the center of the cavern. What was that for?

Light suddenly flashed behind Link’s eyes, pain exploding in the back of his skull. He dropped to the ground, falling face first into the grass. He couldn’t move, his vision was blurring. And as it faded out, the last thing Link saw was someone crouching before him. Everything went dark.

* * *

 

His head ached something awful. Link groaned in pain and attempted to open his eyes, light blinding him. “Ugh, what happened?” he rasped. “Did someone… jump me?”  That could be the only answer and would explain why he was bound in ropes, tied to a post.

Looking around his “prison,” it was rather homey, Link concluded. He was in one of the huts, the village leader’s if the ornamentation was anything to go by. His gear was sitting off in a corner next to the hearth, a fire blazing inside.

The door to the hut suddenly opened, a man striding inside, alarming the captured Champion. The man looked to be a little taller than Link and fairly large and muscular. His exposed and tattooed chest was massive, hiding what was obviously incredible strength. He was dressed much like the girl from earlier, covered in furs and leather, a patchy kilt wrapped around his waist. Angry green eyes glared down at Link. The man was suddenly shouting, voice deep and thickly accented. Link didn’t recognize the dialect the man was using, but it sounded somehow familiar. Did someone else he know use it? Zelda maybe?

The man grabbed Link’s face roughly, a long, brown ponytail slipping over his shoulder. He was still speaking, practically growling at this point, in the language from before, but he soon paused, the way the words flowed indicating that he had asked a question. Link just gaped and shook his head. “I… don’t understand,” he said. A deep rumble erupted from the man’s throat and he drove his fist into Link’s gut. “Oomph!” the Champion gasped, tensing up before sagging in the man’s grip.

Another voice came shouting, a similar, but older looking man bursting through the door. “Jun! Jun!”  It sounded like he was scolding Link’s attacker, “Jun.”  He gave a few more choice words, Jun suddenly dropping Link, glowering as he was forced to leave the hut. The older looking Jun—the father?—kneeled in front of Link. “I am… sorry for my… son,” he said, speaking slowly, sounding out his words. It wasn’t quite modern Hylian, more broken, but Link understood it well enough, having studied the last few versions of the language back when he was in knight training. It was similar enough, but choice words had been replaced and updated through time, changing how some words worked and were used. “My n-name is Valik. I am… uh,” he was searching for an appropriate word.

“The chief?” Link suggested.

Valik nodded, smiling kindly. “Yes. Chief.”  His smile was replaced with a frown. “Who are you? Why come here?”

Link’s eyebrows furrowed. “My name is Link. I was sent here. I was given… news… of a strange looking girl being… seen,” he explained, trying to use words that would mean the same thing in translation. “The queen wanted to know who—“

“Queen?!” Valik interrupted, eyes wide. “Hylian queen?! Who is queen?!”

“Yes, she’s Hylian. Her name is Zelda, as tradition follows.”

The older man sighed happily. “The Royal Family lives,” he seemed to realize. “How is Hyrule?”

“Valik?” Link questioned, changing the subject. “How long have you been down here?”

“Ancestors came many centuries ago. They found this place after the… the Twilight Event. No one believed it happened at first. That Zelda convinced them; they became… scared. This was to be a shelter for anything that would happen. Other Hylians… same idea. They found places like this too,” Valik explained, rather forthcoming with information. “Years passed and something did happen. No one remembers… no records. Took things with them… came here. Been here ever since, generations later. We are the first tribe. Two others. We call this place True Faron.”  He paused. “You have found us, thanks to Aria… And, I am sorry to do this, but you cannot leave.”

Link gasped. “What? Why?!”

Valik stood suddenly, eyes—so similar to Jun’s—narrowed dangerously. “No one must know we are here!”  He shook his head, lowering his voice. “Not safe… Since Aria is why we were found, she will be watching you and caring for you.”  On cue, someone else walked into the hut. It was the girl from before. She looked less than pleased with the situation at hand. Valik loomed. “Do not make me… wish I had killed you.”

Link gulped. What had he gotten himself into now?

* * *

 

He hadn’t gotten his gear back. No one trusted him to keep them despite not wanting to hurt anyone. So they would remain with Valik. It seemed to be best to just comply with these people for now.

Aria had been silent as she led him through the caverns that made up True Faron. She didn’t seem to be in a “talking” mood, only speaking when she had too. From the times she had spoken, her voice was light, but firm… like a bell. And the people that crossed their path weren’t any better, avoiding them fervently, their stares drilling into him. “This is the center.”  He was brought to another cavern filled with high walls and steam. “This is where you take baths.”

 _Hot springs_ , Link deduced. As he was led through more caverns, he tried to strike up conversation. “So, Aria. How is it you speak my language?”

He didn’t expect a response, but she did, oddly enough, opening up to him. “We do not have all of what we need here. Sometimes we go up to… get things. We find… books and papers. The letters were close to ours and your language comes from ours, so we learned. Well, some of us.”

“So it’s ancient Hylian then.”  Coming to another cavern, Link blanched, fear trickling through his veins. “Gah!” The cavern was filled with Lynels! _What are these people thinking?!_

Aria gave a light chuckle. “It must seem strange to someone not from here to keep beasts such as these. People think they were created by the Great Evil, but they were not. They have been here as long as we have, only hiding until a couple centuries ago.”

“But they’re so aggressive and violent! Why on earth—“

“We use them like… horses. They help us work, and they serve as mounts. And they’re not all bad.”  She approached a male Lynel, his coat a silvery color despite the mane being a gold color. A hybrid? Aria extended her hand towards the beast, the large Lynel enveloping it in his own. He brought it up to his face and rubbed against it. “If you manage to form a bond with one, they fiercely loyal and protective. They are beautiful and misunderstood. Each one is special in a different way. Not so unlike people, huh?”

Link gaped, amazed at the sight. “Incredible.”  He tried to approach when the Lynel turned his gaze to him and growled. He stopped, holding his hands up.

“Do not get close,” Aria warned. “He will kill you if he sees you as a threat.”  With a gentle pat to the beast’s cheek, Aria returned to Link’s side and led him away. “The main problem with Lynels are that they are always trying to breed and become territorial. Males to other males, specifically. That is why they are kept in single stalls.”  They left the beasts, continuing on. “Come, I still must show you where we farm and the other  housing space.”

The rest of the tour didn’t take long, the two Hylians far less distracted now. Aria lived in the second housing cavern, away from the rest of the ten other families. She didn’t say why, but Link suspected it had something to do with her specifically. Link took in Aria’s home as he entered.

“It’s lovely,” he told her. “Very cozy.”  The hut was a small single room, a fireplace on the far wall, a cooking spit over it. A futon was pushed slightly further back to avoid any loose sparks. “Thank you for hosting me.”

She shook her head. “I did not ask to do so. I was made to. My punishment, it seems, but I will be good to you.”

“Still,” Link said, bowing slightly. “Thank you.”

Aria remained silent, breathing deeply through her nose. She turned towards the tall cabinet and pulled out another futon, laying it out across from her own. “Do not try anything while here. And make sure to follow the rules. If you are good, you might be made into a clansmen and given a house and a woman. Then you will be her problem and not mine.”

Link winced, rubbing the back of his head as he grimaced. “Ouch. That hurt.”  Aria shrugged, indifferent, and straightened the futon. “You have no intention of getting on well with me, do you?”

“No. Not at all.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> End of chapter 2. I'm really liking writing this story so far. I hope you guys are as eager to read it as I am writing it.
> 
> Remember that I am accepting art pieces if anyone wants to contribute to the story. I would be so happy to see some of you guys' work! Full credit will be given!
> 
> Please, leave a comment and a kudos if you like the chapter and think I am doing alright. You can also leave links to your artwork in the comments or in a note on my DeviantART page (same username).
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	3. Discoveries of Many Kinds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so here's the new chapter. 
> 
> I actually have some art for this chapter, done by moi, but if they look a little different in style, it's because I did them at different intervals. The first image you will see was actually done after the the other one. I got a little more comfortable after drawing the first one, and it's closer, so I got to focus on details.
> 
> I do have to warn you, guys, though. The first picture does feature partial nudity (a little bit of booty is showing), and the scene is written in a way that definitely has suggestive themes. You were warned.
> 
> The bold text is a direct translation of what Valik says in this chapter instead of a simplified version.
> 
> Enjoy!

**_In the beginning it was all black and white. ~ Maureen O’Hara_ **

A couple of days had passed since the discovery of the long forgotten tribe. As they had requested—rather demanded—Link had remained in the limits of True Faron, adhering to their rules. The laws themselves weren’t anything too drastic, kind of rudimentary actually. What one would expect from a society.

It was on the second day in True Faron that Link realized that Epona still waited up above. He wasn’t worried about her when it came to food. There was plenty of grass for her to graze and the river’s water was fresh. What Link _was_ worried about were the monsters that might attack the poor mare. He confronted Valik that same day and begged to go retrieve her. Of course, that was out of the question, but the Chief took pity on him and sent some of his men instead. Link wasn’t sure how exactly they brought her down, the stairs too steep for the large horse, but she showed up at hut Aria and he shared later that evening.

On the third day, Link was put to work… farm work. He wasn’t allowed to use his weapons to help hunt, so it was the next logical step. Link had some experience with growing food, having helped the villagers in Hateno as well as growing some of his own, but not to the scale of that of the Faron Tribe. A whole cavern had been dedicated to large community fields and orchards. It was absolutely massive! And the crops they grew were rather strange as well. Much like the rest of the vegetation in True Faron, the crops the tribe grew glowed, most likely the result of bioluminescence. Was it something in the soil, or perhaps another foreign property all together?

Now, that Link took time to think about it, the people of the tribe’s eyes seemed to glow as well. Was it because they had lived here for so long and ingested the glowing food that they grew? He wasn’t even sure if that was physically possible. Maybe it was magic after all.

Now, days later, Link sighed, leaning against the hoe as he wiped his brow. He had been tilling part of the field for hours now, making seemingly little progress. Too make matters worse, it seemed that the climate in the caverns matched that of outside thanks to the ventilation shafts scattered all throughout the ceiling. The only difference was the lack of precipitation here. The tribe’s farmers had to water the crops by hand unfortunately, taking water from a waterfall in the same cavern. Link imagined it didn’t snow here either, just getting unbearably cold instead.

“Oi! Link!” a sweet voice shouted. It was Melody, one of the farmers of the tribe. She was a very kind person who spoke his language much better than most, if not taking everything a little too literally. She was waving at him from the other side of the field, long red hair blowing lightly due to the small breeze coming from the ventilation shafts. “It’s time to stop! Come over here!”

Melody greeted him with a honeyed smile, violet eyes shining cheerily. She handed him a tankard of water. “Thank you,” the Champion said gratefully. He chugged the contents and wiped his mouth with a flourish. “That hit the spot.”

Her face changed to one of confusion, her freckled nose scrunching up. “What spot? It didn’t hurt, did it?”

Link smiled and shook his head. “It’s just an expression.” They walked to the tool shed and put their equipment away to use tomorrow. Link cracked his neck and rolled his shoulders, sighing in relief as joints popped loudly. “Ah, man.”

The redheaded girl gazed at him pointedly, smile never fading. “I could work out your muscles and massage them, if you like,” she offered. “You must be sore and tired.”

“No, that’s all right,” he said, rejecting the kind offer. “I don’t know if I’ve told you, but I’m a warrior back on the surface. I’m use to overworked muscles. A nice soak in the baths should work just fine.”

Melody shrugged. “Well, if you decide otherwise, come find me.”  She waved goodbye and headed for home, Link staring after her.

He decided to follow her example, heading for Aria’s home. Walking through the caverns, Link smiled at the people passed. He had been pleasantly surprised when they started returning the gestures, going as far to wave in greeting. It seemed he was becoming more liked the longer he stayed here… thankfully. It kind of hurt the Hylian to be shunned like he had been the first couple of days. It was worse than being all alone, having the opportunity for friendships, but not being able to achieve it.

Link thought back to the Royal Guards he had left behind at the Bridge of Hylia. He had just left them behind to go off on his own. Were they searching for him still? Was Tomlin doing all right? What about the queen? Was she worried about him?

Depression quickly overtook the Hylian as he entered the hut. He was expecting to run into Aria, but the girl was nowhere to be seen. She had already made dinner, though, apparently. It was rabbit stew with carrots and potatoes. The tribe’s hunters had a successful hunt, it seemed. Link poured himself a bowl and sat down in front of the fire. Aria was a very good cook, he quickly discovered. She knew her way around food, despite living alone for so long, not having to cook for anyone else.

Link finished his stew and washed out his bowl. It was hard to tell what the time was down here, and it took a while to get used to how the tribe kept track of time (they used something akin to a sundial. The only difference was that it harness an actual beam of light that streamed down from the surface through a hole instead of a shadow). Link had a feeling that Aria had been gone all day. She still hadn’t returned either. She was fine, though; there was no doubt about that.

With a long, drawn out sigh, Link gathered a towel and some spare clothes, ready to head out for a bath. A nice long soak would do him some good and hopefully make him feel human again. Walking out of the hut, Link took in the quietness of True Faron. The only thing audible were the various waterfalls and the calls of the creatures that called this place home. The people, on the other hand, had mostly all turned in for the night. Only a few stragglers remained, but they were all rushing for home. Well, that suited Link just fine. He would enjoy a bath alone.

Entering the bath cavern, Link was immediately greeted by vast quantities of steam. His face quickly became flushed, the moistness sticking to his skin. He took a deep breath and let it out with a huff, letting the steam clear his airways.

Making his way to the men’s spring, he stopped hearing clamoring from one of the private springs. Not many chose to use them. They were smaller, hence the privacy, but only used for certain cases. Many of them were teeming with more medicinal properties and vitamins than the communal baths, so they were mostly used for detoxification and healing. So who on earth would be using one now?

Link couldn’t quell the curiosity raging in the back of his mind. It probably had something to do with his adventuring instincts, and despite knowing he could get into trouble, he just couldn’t resist. He had to know who was using one of the luxurious, private baths. Link set down his stuff, and quietly creeped up to the outer wall. He steadied his breath and peered around the corner.

The champions cheeks flamed, heat bursting under his skin as it traveled to the tips of his ears and down his neck. It was Aria! He hadn’t realized it would be a woman in the bath! _Th-They… S-She should be home by now!_ he screamed to himself. Link couldn’t stop staring. Clad in nothing more than a towel, he watched as water trickled down and over her flushed skin, droplets dripping from wet hair. Aria’s ears suddenly twitched and her head whirled around; Link ducked behind the wall, pressing himself flat against it. _I don’t think she saw me… Did she?_

He wasted no time getting out of there, grabbing his stuff and ducking behind the walls of the men’s spring. His breath was laborious, and Link had to slap a hand over his mouth just so it didn’t sound so loud. Aria suddenly called out, presumably in Ancient Hylian. By the context of her words, she was asking who was there. Link hated ignoring her, wanting to reply to ease her worries that he wasn’t some attacker, but he would undoubtedly lose all trust he had built with her if she discovered it was him. No, it was best to stay quiet and hope she wasn’t as bold as he and come venturing into the spring. Link moved to the far left wall. If she did, he hoped she wouldn’t see him, using her ocular imparity to his advantage.

Thankfully, Link’s anxiety was in vain, the girl choosing to leave the baths all together. He let out a breath he hadn’t realized he had been holding and began to strip out of his clothes. His body felt all tingly thanks to his adrenaline rush depleting, his hands trembling slightly. Grabbing the wash bucket, Link washed himself quickly and rinsed before easing his way into the hot water. His tense muscles quickly relaxed, the aches of the day fading away.

Of course, this also gave Link time to wonder what Aria was doing in one of the private springs. Was she injured today? Did something go wrong at her own job?

“Today has been filled with so many unanswered questions,” Link said to himself. He leaned back in the spring, resting his head on the smooth stones. “Oh, well.”

* * *

 

It was a relief to the Champion when he returned to the hut to find Aria already asleep. He didn’t want to face her after his shameful actions, so he avoided her instead. In the days following the incident at the baths, Link and the other farmers finally got all of the seasons food planted, harvesting the remains from the previous. They were now switching over to animal husbandry. This suited the Hylian Champion much more than farming. He’d rather spend his time taking care of somewhat intelligent beings than doing grueling work… Although, he was grateful that wouldn’t require taking care of the Lynels. No matter what Aria said, he couldn’t see himself bonding with one of the ferocious beasts. They had nearly been the end of him, after all. Multiple times.

 _Aria… I wonder what she’s up to. What does she do anyway?_ Link pondered, brushing one of the many sheep, prepping it for sheering. He absentmindedly tweaked the fleece, accidentally pulling it with the brush, the ewe nipping at Link’s leg in retaliation. “Ow! Hey, hey, I’m sorry,” he hurried, giving the irritated animal a quick pat. “It’s not like I meant to do it!”

“You seem distracted.”  It was Melody. She was leaning against the fencing, Elias—her identical twin and another rancher—beside her. “You can lose fingers that way.”

Elias nodded in agreement. “Trust me, I know.”  He held up his left hand and wiggled what remained of his appendages. The tip of his index finger was missing and his thumb was clean off. “Lost this,” he wagged the index finger, “when I was sheering. Cut it right off. The other finger was from a saw back when we built the fences.”

Link smirked. “Maybe you should just stay away from sharp objects.”

The boy shrugged. “Probably.”

“Anyway,” his sister spoke up, rolling her eyes dramatically, “what were you thinking about?”

The champion shook his head and moved to join the two siblings. He leaned up against the fence and set his brush aside. “I… saw something I shouldn’t have. I’m not sure if I should tell the person or not.”

“Was it bad?” Melody questioned.

Link shook his head. “Not particularly. More like it was private. I was being nosy and it wasn’t my place.”  He could see the siblings mouthing “nosy” to each other, attempting to understand its meaning. “It just wasn’t right to watch them.”

Elias scratched the back of his head, turning his back to them. “Just say sorry.”  While the boy’s modern Hylian wasn’t near as good as his sister’s, he always got his point across and generally knew what you were trying to tell him. “Be done with it.”

Melody agreed. “Yes. Whoever it was will… will… forgive? Ah, yes! Forgive you! They will forgive you if you come right out and say it.”

Link huffed and grumbled out, “I sure hope so.”

“Trust us!” the twins exclaimed in unison, large grins on their faces. It was a bit creepy how the two could do that. It was like they were reading each other’s minds.

“Anyway, did you hear the news?” Elias asked.

“What news?”

“Valik is calling a gathering tonight. He wants to tell the tribe something to do with the Summer Solstice.”

“I hope it’s nothing serious,” Melody said worriedly. “I was excited for this year's. I’m finally old enough.”

Link’s brows furrowed, his head cocking in confusion. “What should it matter if your old enough? What are you old enough for?”

Melody giggled, sidling up to the Champion. She batted her lashes him. “Why, Link, are you perhaps interested in gaining a life partner?”

The Hylian grew alarmed, eyes widening in his surprise. “Wh-What?”

She giggled again. “The Summer Solstice is when the women from the different tribes perform in front of possible partners to show they are of the age for mating. It’s when we form life bonds.”

Link raised a questioning eyebrow. “You guys are forced to marry someone?”

“Forced is a strong word. When we reach a certain age, we take part in the Summer Solstice, and if we catch the eye of a partner, they request to become the life partner of us. Then we leave to join their tribe. Because we have so little people who are not related, our birth rates are quite low.”

“But what if you don’t wish to marry? Or if you don’t wish to marry someone from the tribes?”

Melody’s and Elias’s eyes grew in size. They couldn’t even imagine a world where no one would marry. Melody turned to her brother. “I suppose we do not have a choice.”

The Champion frowned. “That seems kind of sexist, and modern Hyrule doesn’t practice those laws.”

“Sexist?”

“Meaning it’s not fair to either male or female… Usually females…” Link sighed. “I just… it’s wrong to me, but I don’t have the right to say anything against it.”

Elias smiled sadly. “I know our customs seem strange, but they do—well, most of them—have a place and purpose,” he said. “I do not like many of them either, but it is how it has always been done.”

Link was tired of the conversation. He could see that the two weren’t willing to budge on the subject. He doubted anyone in the tribe would. It was all they had known, and Link knew firsthand that people were afraid of change. He avoided their questioning gazes, frowning. “I’m… gonna head back. I’m tired, and I should clean up before tonight.”

“Okay,” Melody said. “See you tonight?”

He nodded. “Yeah. See you guys tonight.”

* * *

 

Having taken a bath and changed his clothes from the sweaty garments of early today, Link moved the changing screen and was surprised to see Aria perched in front of the hearth. He hadn’t heard her come in. She looked at him with a knowing look, her dead eye staring him down menacingly. “You know, a better man would not spy on a woman while she is bathing. Can you imagine what kind of person would do that, Link?”

He had been found out. Link glanced down to his feet and rubbed the back of his head. “I was going to tell you. To be honest, it wasn’t my… intention to spy on you. I was just… curious as to who was there. It didn’t even cross my mind that it could be a woman.”

Aria continued to stare. Link couldn’t read her face; he had no idea what she was thinking. She turned to face him fully and stood. Before approaching. She reached up and fixed the collar to his champion’s tunic, now fresh and clean, having been washed. “For some reason,” Aria began. “I believe you. You… do not seem like that kind of man.”

“If you don’t mind my asking,” Link drawled, grabbing Aria’s arm and lowering it from his shoulder, “what were you doing in one of the private baths?”

She hummed. “If you must know, I train under the village shaman. We were mixing herbs and making them into different salves, not all of them healing salves, and it got messy. I needed to cleanse my body before the toxins set in.” A smirk settled on the girl’s face and she released a breathy chuckle. “She told me of all this… after it happened. She told me it was you in the baths. And strangely enough, she asked me to bring you to her.”

Link was confused. “Why?”

Aria shrugged. “Something with the future. And she made sure to tell me to bring you before Valik’s gathering tonight.”

“So be it. Lead the way.”

The walk to the shaman’s hut wasn’t far at all. It was only a few houses down, actually, and it wasn’t much bigger than their own hut either. In fact, the only reason why Link recognized it as the shaman’s hut at all was because of the ornamental skull greeting them at the door with its beaded ropes.

“My mistress waits inside. I will wait outside. All talks between someone and the shaman are to remain private. Anything you should say will never leave this hut,” Aria informed Link. He nodded his thanks and watched as the girl ominously opened the door, the wood creaking and groaning. “Good luck.”

Link climbed this steps to the hut and entered. The inside was alight with the same glowing stones from the rest of the caverns, suspended from ropes, a fire lit in the hearth. The floor was covered in plush carpets and the walls were lined with pillows. A woman with graying black hair sat on the floor, dressed in navy robes, a tall headdress made from copper and a set of antlers balanced proudly upon her head. She smiled at the Hylian as he entered her home, peridot eyes glowing with unimaginable power.

“Welcome, Link,” she greeted, voice a little raspy. “I’ve been waiting for you. We have much to discuss.”  She spoke his language very well. “My name is Ria, and I am gifted with the power of sight. Not only am I able to see the brief possibilities of the future, but I can read an individual’s as well.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Time is like river, my dear boy. It has a source, but it can branch into many streams as well due to choices. I can see the many possible futures, but only by reading an individual’s can I uncover which choices affect which future. I focus my powers through the moonstone at throat and use the bones to read further into situations than just merely witnessing them.”

Link contemplated Ria’s words. “Can Aria do this as well since she’s your apprentice?”

“No.” She said sadly. “In truth, Aria was never meant to become my apprentice. She was supposed to be the next tribe leader as her father was, but he died, and her uncle—Valik—took the position. He says a woman should not lead, and her eye did not help matters. So he assigned her to me, though I do lead more than he ever will, but she will never become a shaman. Not without some innate ability passed down from generation to generation. But she will be a gifted healer, which is why Valik is marrying her off to another tribe’s leader, in hopes of creating an alliance.”

“What?!” Link gasped. “How could he do that to his own niece?”

“Power is a corruptive source, Link. Many have fallen influence to it, and Valik will not be the last. But I have seen a possible future much better than the one he has planned. You are a factor in this. And so, I wish your fortune. Will permit me this?”

He nodded. “Of course.”

Ria smiled happily, the tattooed triangles on her left cheek scrunching up with her grin. “Thank you. Now, give me your hand.”  Taking his hand in hers, Ria poked the end of Link’s finger with a needle, letting a small droplet of blood drip into her copper cup. She placed the bones inside and shook them, tipping the engraved cup over onto the branded hide in front of her. A few words were spoken, and Ria’s eyes began to glow brighter as she read the bones. “At tonight’s gathering, there is moment which shall influence not only the tribe’s future, but the entirety of Hyrule’s as well. This… moment is not clear, but you shall recognize it nonetheless. One thing is for sure, however. You will be sent somewhere far at the request of Valik and you must take Aria with you. You must convince him.”

“And?” Link urged.

The shaman shook her head. “It’s gone dark. That is as much as I could see. I’m sorry.”

The Champion shook his head. “No, it’s fine. I’ll do what I can.”

“That’s all I can ask.”  She looked off towards the exit. “The gathering is starting soon. Go for now. And may the goddesses watch over you.”

Link left the hut, wondering what Ria meant about the moment to recognize. And what goddesses? Wasn’t there only Hylia?

Aria greeted him outside the door. She had been waiting. “How did it go?”

“It was a bit vague, but she gave me some instructions.”

“She usually does.”  She looked to the village center. “Let’s go. We should go join the other tribesmen.”

* * *

 

The whole village was gathered around in the village center, eager to hear Valik’s announcement. Link was rather eager as well, but not for the same reasons as the rest. He was looking for his “moment,” his opportunity.

Valik stood on the front steps to his hut. He opened his arms wide and smiled down at his people. He began to speak, but of course, Link could not understand.

“I’ll translate,” Aria offered. **“Thank you for coming, my people. As you know, the Summer Solstice is not far from now. I’m sure the women are quite excited to meet their potential suitors.”** There was a collective bout of laughter from the men. **“This year, we have the honor of hosting the other tribes. And such, like the years before we will be requesting ambassadors to represent us when inviting our neighbors.”**

Link’s eyes widened dramatically. “I’ll go! Please, allow me to go! I wish to prove myself.”

Valik was staring, Aria was staring, Jun was staring, everyone was staring. It made Link nervous, but he didn’t waver. He met the chief’s gaze with determination, refusing to look away. Valik’s expression turned murderous, eyes aflame with fury. His brow furrowed and he scowled, teeth grit. “What?!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's that. I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. 
> 
> Remember that I'm accepting art for the story! I'd be happy to feature it in the story as well.
> 
> If you enjoy what you're reading and think I'm doing pretty well, feel free to leave a kudos, bookmark, or comment. Preferably all three, if you don't mind, haha! An author needs feedback. Good feedback let's us know what we're doing right and wrong. We know what ideas to keep pushing and which to change.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	4. Many Truths

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that it took so long to get another chapter out. Finals had me busy and then I had to go on a mandatory trip before I could really go on my Winter Break. Next semester is looking just as busy.
> 
> Don't forget, artwork is displayed throughout this story, so if anyone would like to send some, feel free!
> 
> Probably some mistakes within the chapter, sorry, but I don't have a proofreader/beta.

**_People come to music to seek oblivion: is that not also a form of deception? ~ Claude Debussy_ **

* * *

 

The gathering was cut short and tensions were high. Link stood opposite of Valik, the chieftain leveling him with his gaze. It was clear he hadn’t liked Link’s outburst, painfully so, calling him aside to his hut. He did all he could to voice it as well.

“How dare you speak where not your place!”

Link held his ground, unflinching from the older man’s harsh tone. “Please, sir,” Link began, thinking quickly, wracking his brain for an explanation. “I wish to prove myself. If I am to stay here for the rest of my life, surely I could aid the Tribe in this important time. I… don’t wish to spend my life as an outsider.”

Valik growled low in his throat, tossing Link’s words about. “You… were warrior… outside, yes?”

He nodded. “That is correct. I was the Hylian Champion, Hyrule’s best in her Majesty’s opinion, as well as her father’s. My skills could be of great use in this journey. I could serve as a guard for the… people speaking on the Tribe’s behalf.”

“There is something not said…”                                                               

“Yes,” the champion admitted. “In truth, I would like Aria to accompany as well.”  Said girl’s, who had been standing off to the side, head snapped in Link’s direction. Her eyes were wide with surprise. “Shaman Ria asked me of this favor so that Aria could see as much of the other tribes before she was to be sent to one. Not to mention, she speaks my own language very well, and I could use a translator.”

The chief looked contemplative for a moment, the anger on his face being replaced with a quizzical expression. Was he considering Link’s request earnestly. “Very well,” he said, at last. “I will… accept proposal. If you fail in this task, you will meet the end.”

No further words were needed. Link got the message. Loud and clear.

* * *

 

The day of Link’s latest quest came quickly. He was provided with his weapons, surprisingly enough, as well as some various clothes. There were two other tribes existing in the underground of Hyrule, as it was explained to him. One was under the Hebra Region; the other was in between Eldin and Akkala. It would be just as cold or hot there, it seemed.

Aria was ready to go as well. Like Valik, she was surprised at Link’s initial request, though excitement had soon taken over. She had never been outside her own tribe before. To her, this would be an adventure before she was forced into a life of marriage. She wouldn’t stop smiling at Link.

The two would accompany a set of other warriors and ambassadors, the tribesmen and women riding atop their Lynel companions. Link eyed the creatures warily, but they seemed tame enough. He was only calmed by the thought that Epona could easily outpace the creatures… or at least that had been his previous experiences when in the fields of Hyrule. Who knew what these specially bred ones could do?

The Hylian was snapped out of his thoughts by one of the warriors of the Tribe yelling and pointing at him. He sounded very angry. Link shook his head as the warrior approached, not understanding what was being said. Aria came up to his side and put a hand on his shoulder. “He says ‘don’t even think about running, because we will kill you dead.’”

Link nodded. “Noted.”  The leader of the caravan mounted his steed, signaling to the others to do the same. Following suit, Link mounted Epona and spurred her forward, following the rest of the caravan. Aria rode beside him atop her Lynel, the silver and gold beast looking quite pleased being with his rider. Link couldn’t help but notice how the creatures yellowy eyes would dart to stare at his own steed. He hoped Epona wouldn’t balk; she’s been doing fine up until this point.

Aria chuckled, having spotted the situation as well. Her Lynel reached out with a giant, clawed hand, palm outstretched placing it gently on the horse’s head. Epona tensed but didn’t seem to mind much more than that, luckily, considering the Lynel started to stroke down her mane. It was the oddest thing Link had ever seen.

Shaking his head, Link turned to his companion. “So how long will it take to get to the next tribe?” he asked.

She thought about it for a moment. Link could tell she was trying to choose her words carefully. “About three, maybe four, days if everything goes well.” That meant they were heading to the tribe under the Akkala region, Hebra would be way too far to reach in just under a week. At least the climate wouldn’t change too much then. “You’ll enjoy our sister tribe, I think. They are very nice and the food is very good… Of course, so is the other tribe’s food.”

Food was very important to Aria, it seemed. Link could relate. Food was _also_ very important to him.

Link smiled, listening to Aria talk of the other tribes as if she had been here. He couldn’t imagine the excitement she was feeling right now. Aria had never been outside the boundaries of her tribe, aside from her excursions into the forest. Link could only hope that the she would be able to see the rest of the outside world someday.

The sounds of snarling and gnashing teeth drew Link out of his thoughts. Eyes peered out of the darkness, glaring ominously at the caravan. Monsters were just as much of a problem down here as they were on the surface, it seemed, if not more. There were dozens of them looming in, blocking further progression as everything came to a halt. The warriors of the group drew their weapons, the Lynels disgruntled as well, drawing their own weapons as well. Link had never seen such fierce expressions on anyone but him and the Sheikah warriors. Not even his own trainees were so determined.

With furious yells, the warriors and their beasts charged into battle, swinging and slashing with their swords and spears. Link spurred his own steed onwards, drawing out a long spear from the recesses of his enchanted pack. He stabbed and swiped at the Bokoblins and Moblins as their broken bodies crawled towards the group. Link grimaced as a swift stab nearly ripped the arm off one of the Bokoblins. What was wrong with them? They seemed almost sick.

Boils and pustules riddled the monsters bodies, drool pooling from their maws. A putrid smell emanated from them, churning the Hylian’s stomach. “What’s wrong with them?!” Link asked in horror.

Aria, who stayed with the wagons, looked panicked, her Lynel agitated at the monster’s presence. “Don’t let them bleed or bite you!” she shouted. “They carry sickness!”

Link blanched, turning his head just in time to see a Moblin throw one of its smaller cousins at him. Quickly, he thrusted his spear out at it, piercing its rotting flesh, flinging the creature behind his head. “Argh!” Link groaned in pain, his back bending awkwardly. “That was close…”

“Gah!” a terrified voice cried out. A tribesman had fallen off of his steed, a Moblin spear having gone through the beast’s chest. Monsters now surrounded the man, his weapon knocked off to the side, the Lynel dead beside him. With no hesitation, Link launched off his horse, drawing his bow, and fired off multiple arrows, shooting the monsters down. The man looked up at Link with awe. He scurried up to his feet and began shaking Link’s hands wildly, gratitude clear in his voice. He ran off, retreating back to the wagons, letting the rest of the warriors finish off the monsters.

The monsters defeated, turning to nothing on the cavern floor, Link returned to Aria’s side. “What’s wrong with the monsters here? They’re nothing like the ones on the surface.”

The girl shook her head. “They’ve been sick for as long as we can remember. We are not sure why.”

That was very concerning. Who knew what else was sick down here, running through what was left of its life in a brainless daze. Would there be more creatures like these during the journey? Link could only assume so.

The tribe continued on, pushing further into the dark tunnels, on their way to the Akkala Tribe.

* * *

 

What felt like hours later, the group finally stopped for the night. They hadn’t crossed too many more monsters in the time it took to get here, luckily. Small victories.

The tribe was very efficient when setting up camp. Record time, surely. Tents were erected, fires were built, and dinners were cooking. Savory smells soon filled the tunnels. Link briefly worried that the smell would lure the attention of the monsters, but he had to trust that the tribe knew what they were doing.

“What will we do once we reach the Akkala Tribe?” Link asked, sitting down to join aria for some mushroom skewers. They weren’t Link’s favorite meal, but he grew to appreciate it.

“The messengers will meet with tribe’s leaders to invite them to the Summer Solstice Festival,” she said, shrugging, as if the answer was obvious. “They will do the same at the other tribe. Then we will return.”

Link raised an eyebrow. “That’s it? Just talking to some leaders? No ceremonies or feasts?”

Aria hummed, chewing on a mushroom. “Well, there will most likely be food. But yes. Just talking.”

“Things are done very different here than where I’m from,” Link chuckled. “Usually there is always some grand gesture… pomp and circumstance… though I suppose all of that will be at the festival.” Link’s companion stared back, her mouth poised to take a bite of her skewer, eyes shimmering with confusion and wonder. The Hylian smiled softly in return, shaking his head. “Never mind.”

Shrugging, Aria took a bite, grinning through each bite. “You know, you do not smile much,” she mentioned casually. “And your laughter sounded so… lonely just then.”

Link never thought about it, but he supposed it was true. He didn’t really remember a time when he felt so at ease with a person to be able to smile. Sure, he had plenty of happy moments with new friends he had made on his journey, but had he truly let those emotions shine through?

His adventures, seemingly, had hardened his exterior.

With a deep breath, Link finished off the last of his meal and stood. “I’m going to bed,” he said, hoping Aria wouldn’t notice the slight crack to his voice. Good night.”  And with that he headed into his tent and attempted to sleep.

He tossed and turned all night.

* * *

 

The next few days passed slowly; everything looked the same.

After their conversation, Link had withdrew into himself, ignoring Aria the best he could. He had quickly realized that she had seen apart of himself that not even he was comfortable with. She had no reasons to see that space… to see where he kept his troubles.

The more Link ignored her, the more angry Aria became with him. It was obvious, and that only made Link avoid her more, not wanting to be subjected to her wrath. He did not like when people were angry with him.

Yawning, Link wondered what day it was, tossing it around in his head. Time had started to run together down in the tunnels. He had no idea how the tribe was keeping up, but they seemed to always know when to stop and set camp and when to rise and continue forth. Most likely an acquired trait from living centuries under the earth, having only these tunnels to travel with.

“Link!” one of the escorts who spoke some Modern Hylian called. “Come! Help!”  The Hylian jogged to where he was called. The young tribesman was kneeling next a Lynel, a female, who appeared to be having some difficulties standing.

“What happened?”

The man motioned down to the beast. “Something spooked her. Jumped. Cut by rock.”  It was true. A large gash rested just above the Lynel’s right front fetlock. Most of a Lynel’s weight sat forward so an injury to a front leg could be devastating. “Distract her while we fix?”

Link nodded his agreement. Over the course of the past couple days, Link had finally figured out the creatures in question and how to communicate and act around them. They were all a bit more trusting of the Hylian now. Oddly enough, a lot of the females liked to baby him. Better than being eaten though, he supposed.     

Kneeling in front of the Lynel, Link extended his hand for her to sniff so as to be introduced. The Hylian couldn’t help but noticed how the mighty beast’s eye glistened. It seemed even strong, proud creatures such as these could get a little emotional. “Hey,” he spoke softly, voice coming out as a low rumble. “It’ll be okay. We’ll get you fixed up.”

The Lynel purred, but still looked sad and depressed, the seemingly permanent resting snarl softening to a pout. She made a choked noise as she clutched her hands close to her chest.

“What’s wrong?” Link questioned. He had a feeling this wasn’t about her fetlock. Making gentle gestures, he encouraged the Lynel to share her pain. Slowly, she unfurled her arms, claws opening to reveal a scrap of cloth, wrinkled from how tightly she had squeezed it. Link vaguely remembered the Lynel from the other day, the one who was skewered, wearing a bandana with the same pattern. “Ah,” Link said in realization. “I see.”

She was grieving.

Holding the cloth close, she rubbed it across her face and inhaled deeply, taking in whatever scent remained. This other Lynel had been special. Tentatively, Link reached for the melancholy Lynel and placed a gentle hand on her face. If she chose to bite his hand off, Link wouldn’t blame her this time. He stroked her cheek with the pad of his thumb. The Lynel seemed to take in his comforting gesture, leaning into his touch.

“All taken care of.”  The warrior from earlier, presumably the rider of this Lynel, came around from the other side of the beast dusting off his hands. His eyes narrowed when he saw his steed was in no better state. “She still… sad?” Quickly telling the man of what he found, he watched for an initial reaction. The man listened carefully, only interrupting when he did not understand something. As Link finished, the man sighed deeply. “She was sweet on ‘im,” he explained, stroking his steed’s small mane. The females had much smaller and thinner manes of hair, if at all. “She wanted to mate this season… with other Lynel.”

_Ah, so it’s lost love then…_   Link tried not to think too much about the similarities in his own life.

The warrior shook his head. “Thank you for help.”

“It was no trouble,” Link said, turning to head back to his own camp.

“Ah, Link!”  The Hylian turned his back to the warrior. “You know, you learn from my Lynel. Don’t wait for… for…” he couldn’t find the right word. “Don’t wait.”  And with that he turned away.

Link stood, confused, head cocked to the side. “Don’t wait? Don’t wait for what?”  With a shrug, he left. Upon his return, Aria was nowhere to be found, much to Link’s relief. He had been avoiding her as much as possible, he was ashamed to admit.

Just as he was about to sit down in front of the fire, Aria came running from the shadows, her excited shout surprising Link, making him leap back to his feet. “Link! Link!” she laughed. “Look! Look what I found!”  In her hands was the very flower that brought them together; a Silent Princess.

“Wow,” Link began, “I didn’t think they would grow down here from the lack of sunlight.”

Aria seemed to have forgotten the conversation from the other day as she stared down at the faintly glowing flower in her hand. Now that Link thought of it, maybe that’s why it survived down here. _Of course,_ he thought, noticing its smaller than normal size, _maybe not._

“These flowers are still very rare where I’m from, though they’ve recently flourished and have spread further out than normal. If you hadn’t been standing behind the one in Faron Woods where we first met, I would have been very surprised to see how far away it had grown.”

“What is it called?” Aria questioned.

“A Silent Princess.” Link smiled softly, thinking of his friend. “They’re the queen of Hyrule’s favorite flower due to their similarities.” At Aria’s confused face, the modern Hylian laughed. “Let me explain, but where to begin… First, let me just say that I am not as young as I look. I’m actually well over one hundred years old.” 

Aria’s eyes widened in surprise, her jaw dropping. “Really?! You… cannot be serious!”

“I am. You see, over one hundred years ago, a prophecy—a prediction—was discovered. It said a great evil, one that had been reborn time and time again would come forth in its most powerful form yet. Now, the queen and myself were only children at the time, but we were immediately put to work after the telling of the prophecy. Zelda was put through rituals to develop her sealing magic and I was put through rigorous training to advance in my knighthood. I come from a long line of knights apparently. Anyway, it wasn’t long after that Zelda’s mother died, halting her training in the process, and her father distanced himself from his daughter.”

Aria listened with bated breath.

“I eventually became a night, one of the youngest in history, and Zelda continued to try and unlock her magic without much success. With each failure, her father became more harsh, and she grew to resent me—one who exceeded expectations. We were partnered together along with others as we grew older. We were a team of Champions, and we all slowly began to like each other and truly act like a team. But, the evil we were training so hard to fight came early—Zelda was only seventeen—and it stopped our plans. Our friends were killed… as was I…”

“Wait!” Aria interjected. “You did not die! You are here now!”

Link shook his head. “I did though,” he rebutted. “Zelda barely revived me, and I was barely clinging to life. I was brought to a shrine where I would be sustained and my wounds healed. It wasn’t taken into account how long it would take. Zelda was forced to seal herself and the Calamity away for one hundred years until I awoke to slay it.”  The Hylian thought about Zelda. “It was during her training that Zelda realized how similar she was to this flower. She worked hard and suffered greatly, rarely ever voicing her concerns to anyone, especially her father. She was thrusted into an unwilling destiny.”

His companion was silent for a moment, deep in thought. Aria’s eyebrows furrowed, eyes locked with the little blue flower, breath heavy. “What about you?”

“What about me?” Link questioned, eyebrow raised.

“I find that this flower is more… suited to you.”  Link was surprised by that statement and his mouth gaped, unsure of how to respond. “You say the queen’s destiny was unwanted, but what about you? Did you even want to be a knight? Did you even want to fight? You carry yourself as a man with many things left unsaid, unwillingly to share his burdens with others, afraid he will make himself unwanted, distressing others. You barely admit your troubles to yourself. You are the one who is silent, and I do not mean just your voice.”

The Hylian could barely believe what he was hearing. Was he the one who had suffered? He had never thought about it before. He hadn’t really had time to think of it at all when it came down to saving the world. It only mattered that someone would do it. Did it have to be him?

Arms suddenly reached around him as he was embraced. She wiped away at tears he hadn’t even realized he had shed. “Even your sadness is quiet.”  Link rested his head on the girl’s shoulder. They stayed like that for a moment longer before Aria began speaking again. “It is funny. I was determined to not like you, but I see now that it is not possible.”  She drew away from him, looking into his eyes. “From now on, let us truly be friends. You can come to me if you are… in need for anything.”

Link nodded in confirmation, a happy smile taking over his sad features. “Okay,” he said. “Friends.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope I didn't make Link too strange in this chapter. I just really wanted to hit on some inner feelings and thoughts that would humanize him more. He's been through a lot, and no one really thought how his journey would affect him. I thought it only right to talk about it.
> 
> If there are any questions feel free to ask in the comments, and I will do my best to answer.
> 
> Thanks for reading.

**Author's Note:**

> How did you like the first chapter? I would greatly appreciate thoughts and opinions in the comments. Feel free to leave a kudos as well if you think I'm doing alright so far!
> 
> Don't forget to try your hand at some art! I promise there will be more art worthy scenes in future chapters!
> 
> Thanks!


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